Color card



G. E. OSBORNE COLOR CARD March 23, 1937.

Filed Sept. 2, 19255 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNvlzNToR Glenn EOsborne M BY vATTORNEYS March 23, 1937.

G. E. osBQRNE coLoR'cARD Filed sept. 2, 193s 2 sneetssheet 2- mvENToR jGlenn EOsborne' 'u 4fnrlnu-:Ys

l 25 claims.

Patented Mar. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLOR CARD Glenn E.Osborne, Maplewood, N. J.

Application September 2, 1933, Serial No. 687,924

2 Claims.

This invention relates to color cards.

The primary object of the present invention is to generally improvecolor cards. A more particular object of my invention is to bring outthe true color cast or color value by associating or combiningy thecolor sample or area with a black background of dull or light-absorptivefinish. Still further objects of my invention are: to avoid the too-darkand mournful or otherwise 10 unattractive appearance resulting from theuse of a wholly black color card; to overcome the reluctance andprejudice sometimes encountered in the trade to a black color card; andto make conveniently possible a comparison or study of the 15 colorsample with either or both the light-absorptive black background of myinvention or the conventional light-reflecting white background.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and 20 such other objects as willhereinafter appear, my invention consists in the color card elements andtheir relation one to the other as hereinafter are more particularlydescribed in the specication and sought to be deiined in the Thespecification is accompanied by drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a color card embodying features of myinvention, said card displaying skeins of yarn;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of a portion of said color card;

Fg. 3 is a section of a modified form. of color .0241

Fig. 4 is a section of a still different color card 35 arrangement;Y

Fig. 5 shows a color card suitable for use with `knit or woven samples;

Fig. 6 is a section taken in the plane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

,0 Fig. l is a section of a color card of still another type;

Fig. 8 illustrates a color card employing a separate removable mat tomake optionally available the desired black background;

-45 Fig. 9 is a modified form of mat; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a multiple-leaf `color card.

Color cards have been known for many years and have been veryextensively used for over V50 fifteen years in an effort to reproduciblystand- `ardize colors of the season or fashion. These cards may bereferred to as a single card, but it Vwill be understood that inpractice a number of pages or leaves may be foldably joined together,

`55 as is illustrated, for example, in Figs. l and 10.

(Cl. SiS- 14) The card is conventionally white, and it has heretoforebeen thought that white is the proper background to bring out the colorcast or value when comparing the various samples. I have found that thetrue or actual color cast is 5 brought out against a black background,particularly a dull or light-absorptive black background, far moresatisfactorily than against the conventional white background. While Ido not wish to be committed as to the theory behind 10 this discovery,for the discovery may be considered as an empirical one, I believe thatwith a white background the light reflection is so great that it has atendency to affect the color, making it look lighter and changing itscast, whereas with 15 a light-absorptive black background this,reilection is cut down to an absolute minimum and the color is notaffected and is seen in its true tone. Also, the reection of light froma white background has a tendency to tire or fatigue the eye so that itis not as sensitively responsive to the diiferent tones of color as whenusing the black background.

Following this discovery I have successfully employed color cards usingan entirely black sur- '25 face or background, but these cards have notmet with universal favor for there is some initial prejudice in thetrade against this change from white to black background. The purchaserfrequently feels that he would like to contrast v the color with a Whitebackground as Well as with a black background. Also, it must be kept inmind that different manufacturers distribute their color cards among thepurchasing trade to solicit future orders, and the attractiveness of thecolor card is of some sales value. The black color card affects somepeople with a feeling of foreboding or mournfulness. With these variousproblems in view I have devised a number of diiferent forms of colorcard which make optionally available either the black or the whitebackground. These will be described in greater detail by reference tothe iigures of the drawings.

Referring to Fig. l, the color card comprises a pair of cards or leavesZand 4 the inside sur- 45 face of either or both of which may be used asa color card, depending upon the number of colors to be displayed. Themerchandise being offered in the present case is yarn, and this yarn ismade up into small skeins, 6, better shown in Fig. 2, which are cementedor otherwise mounted on the card. A part of the skein, in this case themiddle portion 6, lies above a black background area 8, while the endportions of the skein lie on the white background area. To

enhance the artistic appearance and esthetic appeal of the card, each ofthe skeins is shaped by cross threads I0 which divide thersame into amiddle portion 6 and end portions I2. Also the background area 8 is madecircular and of a diameter substantially equal to the distance betweenthe necks Il). The skeins are preferably disposed at an angle, as shown.With this arrangement the card retains a light over-all color, and yetthe tone or cast of the color may be studied against a black background.At the same time the color may also be studied against a Whitebackground. The parts of the skein are dened and separated by the necksI8, thereby facilitating the desired contrast of the color with either ablack or a white background.

The black background 8 is preferably a light- `absorptive or dull-finishblack. For this purpose I find that it is exceedingly diflicult tomerely print the card with the desired background and to thereby obtainthe kind of nish preferred. Instead I nd it desirable to employ a layerof dull or suede-iinished material and to cement the same to the surfaceof the card. A suede-like finish is desirable, and a paper having afinish closely imitating suede is available and is most convenient forthis purpose. Structurally it will be understood that the card haspreliminarily cemented thereon discs of suedelike black paper, and thatthe skeins are subsequently cemented in place over these discs.

The arrangement described in Figs. l and 2 is intended to provide ablack background while minimizing the black area on the card. Adifferent arrangement fullling the objects of my invention but not sogreatly minimizing the black background area on the card is shown inFig. 3 in which a color card I4 contains a black background area I8 inthe form of a rectangle disposed vertically on the card. Skeins 6 ofyarn are cemented on the card, half of the skein being disposed over theblack background area I8, and the other half projecting from the blackarea and lying over the white area of the card. Here again I prefer toprovide the area I8 by cementing on the surface of card I4 a layer ofblack material having a dull or suede-like finish.

Still another arrangement of color card is shown in Fig. 4. In this casethe card 24 has preliminarily cemented thereon a black background area28 which may, if desired, be provided with a serrated edge 30 andwindows 32, these decorative features serving to improve the overallappearance of the card. The yarn is made up into skeins 26 centrallytied at 34 to give the same a bow-like shape. The skeins are cemented inplace on the card, half of the skein being superposed on the blackbackground 28, and half being superposed on the white area of the card.The neck 34 helps demark the two halves of the skein and therebyfacilitate study of the tone on either the black or the whitebackground. At the same time the appearance of the individual skein isimproved by this bowlike shape.

Still another form of my invention is shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In thiscase the invention is applied to swatches or samples of fabric ratherthan to yarn in strand form. Furthermore, provision is made for contrastof the color with either the white or the black background at the optionof the user. For this purpose the card 36 is provided With swatches orsamples of knitted or Woven fabric 40 which are secured to the card atone edge, in this case the upper edge 42. 'Ihe black background area 44is disposed directly beneath the sample 40 and is coextensive in areatherewith. With the samples 48 left fiat in place, as at the bottom ofFig. 5, the colors are observed against a white background. However, bylifting any sample upwardly, as shown at the top of Fig. 5, the colormay be contrasted with a black background.

Structurally the desired result is preferably obtained by making thecard 36 of a rear or backing member 35 and a front sheet 31, the latterpreferably being White in color and having cut therethrough windowscorresponding to the color samples. Before applying the front 1amination36 to the rear lamination 35, the latter is provided with a layer ofmaterial, preferably black suede-finished paper 44. The top edge 42 ofthe sample 48 is cemented between the front lamination 31 and thebackground material 44, this construction being best shown in Fig. 6.With this arrangement the sample is contained and more or lessprotectively housed Within the window or recess formed by cutting outthe front layer 3'I of the color card.

In Fig. 7 I show a color card 46 provided with a black background area48 and skeins of yarn 50. These skeins of yarn consist simply ofparallel strands and are disposed partially in a black background 48 andpartially in the white card 46. To lend some decorative effect to theskeins, the ends are preferably terminated in sinuous lines 52, thedesired shape being obtained by similarly shaping Windows cut throughthe front layer of the card 46, and through which windows the skeins areexposed. The background area 48 is preferably obtained by cementing tocard 46 a layer of dull or suede-finished black material, and thismaterial may be cut away with the outer portion of the card when formingthe windows.

In Fig. 8 I show a form of the invention in which the black backgroundmay be made in the form of a separate and removable mat. Speciflcally,the preferably white color card 54 is provided With differently coloredskeins of yarn 56 which may, if desired, be defined by specially shapedwindows like those shown in Fig. '7, and similarly cut through a frontlamination of material forming a part of the card. As so far describedthe card may be considered conventional. However, I further provide withthe card a black mat 58 which may be made of thin cardboard having adull or suede black finish. This mat is provided with windows 68corresponding to and so disposed as to mate with the windows or theskeins 56 on card 54. By placing the mat 58 over the card 54, the entirecard is covered except the skeins or samples which are then exposedthrough the Windows 60. 'I'he colors may thereupon be examined incontrast with a lightabsorptive black background. At the same time thecolors may also be studied against a white background by simply removingthe mat 58. It will be appreciated, of course, that the complete folderor color card may consist of a number of leaves or cards 54 on all ofwhich the color samples or areas 56 are preferably similarly disposed,so that a single black mat 58 may be placed over any leaf or page of thecomplete folder.

In Fig. 9 I show a modif-led form of mat 62 which is generallyladder-like in configuration. This mat corresponds to the backgroundarea 48 shown in Fig. 7, and is intended to be disposed at the middle ofa color card such as is shown in Fig. 8. By thus placing the mat theskeins may Cal Cil

be studied in contrast with both a black and a White background.

It may be of interest to point out that chronologically the developmentof the present invention has proceeded practically in reverse order tothe foregoing description. The provision of permanently black colorcards, while successful, met with some resistance, as I have alreadyexplained. I thereupon provided the arrangements shown in Figs. 8 and 9which proved exceedingly popular but which were subject to the defectthat the mat was susceptible of being lost or damaged. The arrangementshown in Fig. '7 overcame this difficulty, for the black background wasa permanent part of the color card. The arrangements shown in Figs. 3and 4 follow the same principle, but the skeins are made more attractivein appearance, and the area of black background is somewhat reduced. Thearrangement of Figs. l and 2 is designed with a view to actuallyminimizing the necessary black area while at the same time obtaining aneffective color contrast against a black background.

It will be understood that while many of the f figures are fragmentary,and that while I have frequently referred to the color card as a singlecard, in practice the card may be in the form of a substantial foldermade up of a considerable number of individual leaves or cards foldablyjoined in edge to edge relation, and that Fig. 10 is included asillustrative of this complete assembly.

I may observe that while I have referred to the card, exclusive of theblack background area, as being white, it is not essential that thisportion of the card be a true white, for, if desired, a light or pale orneutral color may be used differing from true white. For example, I haveemployed light gray and also metallic silver. In every case, however,the color sample is at least partially contrasted with a preferably dullblack background. The reference in the appended claims to a White cardis therefore intended to be construed as including immaterial variationsfrom white, as, for example, the gray or silver alreadyV mentioned.

It is believed that the mode of constructing theless, because ofestablished precedent and prejudice I make available color contrast witha light or white background as well as with the black background.Furthermore, the dark and unattractive appearance of an entirely blackcolor card is readily avoided by an advantageous limitation anddisposition of the black background area on a white or light color card.

It will be apparent that while I have shown and described my inventionin preferred forms,r

many changes and modifications may be made in the structures disclosedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention, defined in thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A color card comprising a neutral or white card, a plurality ofdifferently colored skeins of yarn mounted thereon, each skein of yarnbeing drawn inwardly at spaced points, and a circular disc of black onthe card beneath the middle portion of the skein and exposed on eitherside of the skein, whereby the color cast may be observed against theblack background at the middle of the skein and may be observed againstthe neutral or white background at the ends of the skein.

2. A color card comprising a white card, a plurality of differentlycolored skeins of yarn mounted thereon, each skein of yarn being drawninwardly at spaced points, and a circular disc of suede-finished blackpaper cemented on the card beneath the middle portion of the skein andexposed on either side of the skein, whereby the color cast may beobserved against the black background at the middle of the skein, andmay be observed against the white background at the ends of the skein.

GLENN E. OSBORNE.

